We manage a pooled fund for participatory democracy projects and organizations.
We don't just advocate for participatory democracy - we practice it. Each year, we ask for your ideas to grow and improve participatory democracy around the world. Our members then develop these ideas into proposals and vote to decide which proposals we fund.
So far we have allocated $530,000 to prioritized projects, thanks to initial funding contributions from the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation and One Project. See more information on funded projects and the funding process below.
Please sign up for our email list to be notified of future funding cycles and calls for proposals for implementing funded projects. In between funding cycles we also provide additional fundraising support for members, for projects that address common needs.
Funded Projects
| Project | Amount | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Fundraising manager to mobilize funding and resources for member priorities: Hire a staff member to support fundraising and resource mobilization, to raise essential funds for member projects and overall People Powered priorities. | $80,000 | 2023 |
| In-person member meeting: Organize an in-person meeting of People Powered members to build relationships, plan our work together, and develop and test global tools and resources. | $100,000 | 2023 |
| More support for strengthening existing regional hubs: Allocate additional funds to sustain and grow the initial two People Powered regional hubs. | $20,000 | 2023 |
| Regional hubs to expand participatory democracy: Work with coordinating organizations in key global regions to host discussions and activities. | $60,000 | 2022 |
| Member workshops for learning, collaboration, and celebration: Organize a series of workshops developed by members, for members, to support each other's work. | $10,000 | 2022 |
| Small grants for research and publications: Award grants to People Powered members to conduct small research studies and publish the findings. | $50,000 | 2022 |
| Professional translators for materials: Hire professionals to translate People Powered content, to improve language accessibility. | $20,000 | 2022 |
| Talks on innovative new research: Organize a series of online events for researchers to share and discuss new studies with People Powered members. | $10,000 | 2022 |
| Exchange program between People Powered members: Create an exchange program in which members visit each other to learn about and contribute to innovative local work. | $50,000 | 2022 |
| Digital Participation Platforms Guide: Produce an interactive online guide on digital participation platforms, to help governments and organizations more effectively engage people online. | $25,000 | 2021 |
| Peer Learning Workshops: Monthly peer learning workshops led by member organizations and board members, to share innovative practices and research findings. | $25,000 | 2021 |
| Online Courses: Additional People Powered University online courses on priority issues, including inclusion, advocacy to win political support for participatory democracy, digital/online participation, sustainable development goals, evaluation of participatory processes, and climate change. | $15,000 | 2021 |
| Mentorship for Participatory Practices: Expand existing Rising Stars mentorship program beyond participatory budgeting, providing stipends for mentors in other participatory practices, such as citizen assemblies, participatory planning, and legislative theatre. | $10,000 | 2021 |
| Research Seminars: Organize 4 research seminars and accompanying blog posts to disseminate and promote key research findings on participatory democracy, and make these findings more accessible for practitioners. | $15,000 | 2021 |
| Participatory Budgeting (PB) for Equality and Inclusion Education Series: Compile and share guidance on how to make PB processes more inclusive, via short videos, info sheets, and webinars. | $15,000 | 2020 |
| Greening PB: Promoting PB for Climate Change: Work with partners to compile and share guidance on how citizens can use PB to address the climate change crisis. | $15,000 | 2020 |
| Smart PB Hub Online Resource Center: Build an accessible and user-friendly online resource center that uses tags and wizards to help PB implementers find the resources and experts that they most need for their local context. | $25,000 | 2020 |
| Rising Stars and Guiding Stars Mentorship Program: Provide new PB implementers with coaching and mentorship from PB experts, by recruiting and supporting at least 10 mentors and matching them with PB implementers. | $10,000 | 2020 |
Project Status
See more information on the projects and their implementation on our project tracking page.
What We Fund
Proposals are eligible if they meet the following criteria:
The project supports People Powered’s mission and values.
The project can be realistically completed within one year.
The project is relevant and applicable globally, not just in one country or region.
How It Works
Plan Funding Cycle: A Governance Committee of People Powered members revises the plan for the upcoming funding cycle.
Collect Ideas: We solicit spending ideas online and in meetings. Anyone can submit ideas.
Develop Proposals: Based on the ideas submitted, People Powered members and staff develop spending proposals through a series of meetings and online discussions.
Vote: People Powered members and staff vote on the proposals, to determine the top global priorities.
Fund Winning Projects: The projects with the most votes are funded, until the available funds are used up.
People Powered manages project implementation, either completing projects directly or allocating the funds to member organizations or other partners, depending on the needs of each project. We commit to allocating at least half of the funds to members; at least half to people from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, or Latin America; and at least half to women.